


Where The Lines Overlap

by mirvly



Series: The Stand In [2]
Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blaine tries to be the best boyfriend ever and of course puts Kurt's needs before his own, Blangst, Classic Blaine, Fluff and Angst, Homecoming, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sadie Hawkins Dance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-13
Updated: 2019-05-13
Packaged: 2020-03-02 19:31:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18817537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mirvly/pseuds/mirvly
Summary: McKinley’s homecoming dance is approaching, and Blaine decides it’s the perfect opportunity to make up for missing junior prom with Kurt. But what happens when he comes face to face with his past––and to top it all off, runs into a past client at the dance?





	Where The Lines Overlap

**Author's Note:**

> Initially this was supposed to be just a one-shot, but here I am, turning it to a series. 
> 
> A brief warning here that there’s some homophobia in this chapter. More made up of microaggressions and ignorance than anything else––no physical violence or anything. And lots of talk about Blaine’s Sadie Hawkins incident, with some of Blaine’s PTSD from that time. Figured it was worth the warning.
> 
> Title from “Where The Lines Overlap” by Paramore.

Blaine loved kissing Kurt Hummel.

He really, really loved it. In the two months that passed since their fake relationship became a real one, kissing Kurt quickly became his favourite part of his day. Like at the current moment in Blaine’s bedroom, the door shut and the house empty. They were laying on Blaine’s bed, Kurt on his back and Blaine hovering over him, the soft melodies of some indie band playing in the background.

He had been right, that day in the Lima Bean; kissing Kurt for real was incredibly more satisfying than the kiss in front of Sebastian. That kiss had been short, punctuated, and was over before it barely began.

The way Kurt really kissed was full of passion. He was tactile, and vocal, and quite frankly was too good of a kisser for someone who had never had a boyfriend before.

As much as Blaine would have loved to rip off Kurt’s clothes and do unspeakable things to him, he forced himself to behave. They were both new to this, and really, neither of them had any idea what they were doing. Even if they were doing it really, really well so far. In Blaine’s opinion.

Blaine pulled back, holding back his heavy breathing so that Kurt wouldn’t know just how turned on he was. Kurt’s eyes fluttered open, a stormy green in the light of the bedroom. “Everything okay?” he asked, and his voice was pitched slightly lower in the way it always did when they made out. It always _did_ _things_ to Blaine.

“Um, yeah,” Blaine said, trying desperately not to look at Kurt’s perfect mouth. “Just… need to cool off, you know?”

Kurt’s face went as pink as his lips. “Oh.”

Blaine rolled over, feeling his own face flush with embarrassment. God, sometimes he really was such a teenage boy. But who could blame him, when he had the most perfect, beautiful, amazing boy in all of Ohio in his bed?

His phone buzzed on the nightstand and Blaine took the opportunity to angle his body away from Kurt as he checked his messages. He had a new request on _The Stand-In_ , and groaned internally. His fake dates had become such a chore lately. It ate up so much of his free time. With college applications, classes, the Warblers, and the social life of a seventeen year old, free time was scarce. He would rather be spending his nights with Kurt instead of holding hands with random girls.

He smiled when he felt Kurt’s chin slot into his neck as he looked over Blaine’s shoulder at his phone. “Anything good?” he asked.

“Someone’s homecoming game,” Blaine sighed. “Snore.”

“I thought you liked football.”

“Not enough to convince me to spend time away from you,” Blaine said, and quickly pressed _decline_ on the request. He put his phone down and turned around to face Kurt, smiling when their eyes met. “Does McKinley have a homecoming?”

Kurt shrugged one shoulder. “We do, but I have no intention of going. You know I hate football.”

“What about the homecoming dance?” Blaine asked, nudging Kurt’s nose with his.

Kurt frowned. Blaine loved the cute little frown lines that popped up on his forehead. “I figured we’d go see a movie or something, instead.”

Blaine’s smile fell away. “You want to go, don’t you?” he asked quietly.

Kurt was silent. That was the only confirmation Blaine needed. He tilted his head to press their lips together, taking Kurt’s bottom lip between his. He heard Kurt’s breathy sigh and lifted his hand to slide around Kurt’s waist, holding him at the small of his back.

He pulled back, and Kurt pursed his lips with disappointment. Blaine would’ve kissed him again to take that pout away, but he had important business to take care of first. “Maybe we should go,” he said, voice dripping with apprehension.

Kurt blinked at him owlishly. “To the dance?”

“Mhm. Kurt, it’s our last year. Don’t you want to experience as much as you can?” Blaine asked. He couldn’t ask Kurt to skip another dance for him. Besides, he couldn’t imagine depriving Kurt of his senior prom––assuming they lasted that long, which Blaine hoped very much that they did––and he could think of the homecoming dance as something of a warm up for that big night.

“Of course I do, but… not if it’s going to make you uncomfortable.” Kurt sighed. “You’re not doing this for me, are you? Because I don’t think I could handle it if something happened to you, or––”

“Kurt.” He interrupted him with a firm kiss, and lifted his hand to cup Kurt’s cheek. “I am doing this for you. But I’m doing it for me, too. I can’t spend my life running. I don’t know if I could ever go to a dance alone, but with you?” His thumb brushed Kurt’s cheekbone. “You make me brave, Kurt.”

Kurt placed his hand over Blaine’s, and linked their fingers together as they hands dropped between them, cradled against the mattress. “You make me brave, too,” he whispered.

Blaine smiled. “Good. Then it’s settled. We’re going to homecoming.”

Nothing could have prepared him for the excited squeal Kurt let out as he tackled Blaine, hugging him viciously. Blaine erupted into laughter, still smiling when Kurt kissed him hard and rolled them over so that Kurt was on top of him.

Oh, yes. Blaine would _never_ get tired of kissing his boyfriend.

 

* * *

 

By the time homecoming came around, Blaine was feeling surprisingly calm. The dance was less formal than prom, so Blaine dressed himself in a [grey dress shirt and a maroon jacket with a black tie to top it off](https://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/2e11b6f5-darrencrissweb.jpg). He wasn’t surprised when Kurt, having a flair for the dramatic, opened the door wearing a [grey jacket, black tie, and uniquely patterned pants.](https://9p06z2ofdzx3wbhgp1ccaea1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/glee-chris-colfer-403-sc16-e1346433230697.jpg)

“Kurt, are those shark teeth?” Blaine said with a laugh as he looked at Kurt’s legs.

“Is that how you greet your boyfriend? I don’t even get a hello?” Kurt teased, and when Blaine met his eyes, he saw that Kurt was checking him out.

Blaine, suddenly self-conscious, stepped past the threshold and kissed Kurt briefly. “Hello,” he said against his lips.

“That’s better,” Kurt said, shutting the door. “And yes, they are shark teeth. I happen to believe in making quite a splash this year at McKinley.”

“They won’t know what hit them,” Blaine said.

“You look great too, by the way,” Kurt said, fixing Blaine’s lapel. His heart skipped a beat at the domesticity of it. Even after knowing Kurt for so long now, every touch drove him a little bit wild.

Someone cleared their throat at the end of the foyer, and both boys looked up to see Burt watching them. Blaine had gotten to know Burt much better over the past couple of months, but the man still gave him a nervous flutter. He straightened up and tugged at the hem of his jacket. He desperately wanted Burt to like him.

“Nice to see you again, Blaine,” Burt said.

“You too, sir,” Blaine said with a timid smile.

“You two actually planning to go this time?” Burt said. Beyond his look of scrutiny, Blaine could tell he was teasing.

“Yes, Dad,” Kurt said.

“Alright, then,” Burt said, clapping his hands together loudly. “Picture time!”

Kurt groaned, but Blaine couldn’t help smiling. When he’d told his parents about going to the dance with Kurt, his mother had gotten this concerned look on her face and said a quiet “That’s nice, sweetie, but are you sure?” while his father just fell awkwardly silent. It made Blaine appreciate Burt’s enthusiasm that much more.

He took Kurt’s hand. “Come on, it’ll be fun,” he said. “We can even do the cheesy prom pose.”

“Oh, you _would_ want to do all of the cheesy poses,” Kurt said with a roll of his eyes. But there was a smile behind his eyes as they headed into the living room.

Burt pulled out a camera and gestured for them to stand closer. Kurt put his arm around Blaine’s waist, and Blaine pressed in close. It took no effort on his part to pose with a big smile. It was always easy to smile around Kurt.

“Should’ve done this for prom, too, even if just to see you both in your tuxes,” Burt said as he looked at the picture on the viewfinder, nodding with satisfaction to himself.

“Blaine and I weren’t even dating then, Dad,” Kurt said.

“Yeah, well, I knew then it was gonna happen eventually,” Burt grumbled, which surprised Blaine. He’d barely met Burt for more than a few minutes on the night of junior prom––had he already been that sure? He lifted the camera again. “Alright, do the cheesy pose. Come on, Kurt!”

Shaking his head, Kurt took Blaine by the shoulders and turned him around, then wrapped his arms around his waist. Blaine must have looked like the cat that got the canary by the size of his smile.

After a dozen more poses and an extended process of coaxing the camera out of Burt’s hands, Kurt finally bid goodbye to his father, practically shoving Blaine out the door. They got into Blaine’s car and started the drive to McKinley, already several minutes behind schedule.

“Sorry about my dad,” Kurt sighed from the passenger seat.

“It’s sweet,” said Blaine. “I love your dad. And those pictures are going to be seriously amazing.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kurt smiling at him fondly. “It _would_ be nice to have a picture of us for my locker this year,” he said. “My dad likes you a lot, you know. He’s not good at expressing it, but he clearly loves you if he’s willing to take a million pictures of us.”

Blaine’s heart swelled. Lately, he had spent more time at Kurt’s house than his own. The Hummel-Hudsons just had a way of making everyone feel welcome, and even if they weren’t allowed to close the door to Kurt’s bedroom, Blaine could hardly mind when he was allowed to spend time with his boyfriend. If they wanted to make out, they went to Blaine’s house, because of the unspoken understanding that Blaine’s parents didn’t really care what he got up to anymore.

He knew that when he had come out they had been less than enthusiastic. He just assumed now that they had given up on having the son they always wanted, so he was free to do as he pleased.

“Blaine?”

He glanced over at Kurt briefly. “Yeah?”

“Just… let me know if you need to go home early tonight, okay?” Kurt said. “Or if you need to step outside for a break.”

Blaine reached over and found Kurt’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “I will,” he assured him.

That was why he liked Kurt so much. He was so attentive to Blaine, always making sure he was comfortable and happy. He didn’t even mind that he had continued his stand-in date business, though Blaine made sure to never accept being a plus one for another guy. He didn’t want to test those waters this early in the relationship, and besides, going out with any guy other than Kurt would just feel wrong, no matter the payment attached to it.

They pulled up to McKinley, and as Blaine shut off the car, the first of his nerves came creeping in. He’d been calm ever since Kurt agreed to go to the dance with him, and had been excited for their date. It was a special kind of date that most high school couples got to enjoy. He’d be damned if he let the bullies win and didn’t get to enjoy it as well.

He pushed aside his nerves and climbed out of the car. Kurt walked with him to the door, neither taking the other’s hand. They hadn’t discussed how touchy they would be, but Blaine knew it would be risky to do anything too coupley. No matter how much he wanted to hold Kurt’s hand, the dark parking lot made him shiver and walk a little faster.

He let out a slow exhale when they reached the doors. Kurt led him to the gym, and even down the hall they could hear that the dance was in full swing. The gym was adorned with standard decorations like streamers, balloons, and strings of beads that hung from every doorway. The music was loud and upbeat, a pop tune from the early 2000s that gave Blaine a wave of nostalgia. People were dancing and laughing and chatting and it was just so very _high school_.

Kurt touched his shoulder, standing as close as he dared. “Want to get a drink?” he asked, and Blaine nodded, letting himself be led over to the refreshments table.

A stern-looking woman in a black track suit was standing guard by a large punch bowl. She narrowed her eyes at Kurt as they approached, and Blaine immediately disliked her and her hawk-like stare. “Didn’t think I’d see you here tonight, Porcelain,” the woman said. Her eyes flickered to Blaine. “This here your butt-buddy?”

“Excuse me?” Blaine said, taken aback.

“It’s okay, Blaine,” Kurt said. “This is Coach Sylvester.”

“Oh,” Blaine said, the pieces slotting together. “You’re the one who wanted to cut arts programs.”

“Why yes I am, Other Gay,” Coach Sylvester said, smiling. She ladled drinks into two cups. “Punch?”

Kurt took the two cups and jerked his head to the chairs by the back wall. Blaine had no choice but to follow, as much as he would have liked to debate the merits of arts programs with Sue Sylvester.

Kurt sat down in a vacant chair and crossed one knee over the other, waiting for Blaine to take a seat before handing him his punch. “Sorry about her,” he said, unbothered.

“No wonder you hate this school,” Blaine grumbled, taking a drink.

Kurt laughed. “You haven’t seen the half of it. See that big neanderthal over there?” He pointed to a burly kid who was wearing his _letterman jacket_ over his dress shirt. “That’s Karofsky.”

Blaine’s blood boiled at the sound of the name. “Do you think he’ll give you trouble?” he asked, eyes glued to the boy who had made Kurt’s life so difficult.

“I don’t know, but we’d better steer clear all the same.” Kurt sighed. “He wouldn’t do anything with the teachers around, though. If there’s one thing Coach Sue is good at, it’s protecting her students.”

Blaine gave him a sad smile and reached to squeeze his hand briefly. He was trying to stir up some words of comfort when a shadow fell over them both, and Blaine looked up to see [a girl standing over them](https://images1.laweekly.com/imager/u/blog/10149971/maia-mitchell-lights-brian-jones.jpg), wearing a [pleated deep red dress](https://www.simibridal.net/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/600x800/a7a40bd3e87f771472bd6a90508b689d/e/d/ed2100.jpg). She looked vaguely familiar, and Blaine wondered where he had seen her before.

“Blaine?” said the girl, confused.

The sound of her voice wracked something in his brain. He put down his cup and got to his feet. “Cassidy, right?” he said.

Her face lit up. “Oh, you _do_ remember me! I should be flattered, I hope that means I was good.”

Kurt stood up next to him, and cleared his throat. “Who’s this?” he asked, and Blaine knew by his tone that he was already becoming protective.

“Kurt, this is Cassidy, one of my, um…” He laughed awkwardly. “Past clients. Cassidy, this is Kurt.”

“Oh, I know,” Cassidy said. Blaine didn’t like the way she looked him up and down before returning to him. “What are you doing at McKinley?”

“I’m here with Kurt,” he replied, realizing too late that it was the wrong move. He watched as Cassidy’s smile flickered, and that look she’d given Kurt was now given to him. He always kept it quiet during his stand-ins that he was gay. Jeff had pointed out to him once that word of mouth was powerful, and if people found out he was gay, the charades he played with his fake dates would fall flat.

“You’re, like… together?”

It was too late to back down now, though. “Yes. Kurt’s my boyfriend.”

“But you go on dates with girls,” Cassidy said.

“They’re not real dates,” Blaine said, frowning.

“What Blaine does in his free time is not the concern of his clients,” Kurt said sharply.

“Isn’t it, though?” Cassidy said, cocking her head. “I mean, how would people feel if you had to kiss them?”

“And what would be wrong with that? Do you think all gay guys are a cesspool of HIV?” Kurt snapped. Blaine’s jaw dropped. Cassidy’s eyes went wide. “Mind your own business. Now if you’ll excuse us, I’m going to dance with my boyfriend.”

Kurt grabbed Blaine’s arm and pulled him to the dance floor. Blaine stared at him as if seeing someone completely new. “A little harsh, don’t you think, Kurt?” he asked, glancing over to see Cassidy glaring at them as she stomped away.

“She had it coming.”

“She wasn’t trying to be rude.”

“Wasn’t she, though?” Kurt said, scowling across the room at her. “Ignorant people like her always think that we’re… _dirty_ , somehow. I hate it.”

“I just don’t think we should be, you know... provoking people?” Blaine said, leaning in to speak quietly. His nerves were rising again. People were looking at them, and Blaine wanted to sink into the floor.

Kurt’s scowl fell away, to be replaced by shame. He reached out to touch Blaine’s shoulders, but thought better of it, and pulled his hands back. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I shouldn’t be making a scene, I-I wasn’t thinking.”

Blaine sighed. “It’s fine. Let’s just ignore everyone else and have a good time, okay?”

Kurt nodded. “Okay.”

It took a while to navigate what was okay and what earned them dirty looks. Dancing to upbeat songs was okay, as long as they maintained a safe distance, but whenever a slower number came on, they would gravitate to the edges of the gym and watch. Blaine itched to slow dance with Kurt––to wrap his arms around his neck and rest his head on his shoulder, swaying to the rhythm––but he knew, realistically, that could only lead to trouble.

Kurt was right that Karofsky didn’t bother them. As much as Blaine disliked Coach Sylvester, he did notice her watching them carefully throughout the night, and when a footballer named Azimio threw some words their way (“I’d smack both of you right now if I didn’t have a rule against hitting _girls_.”), she was quick to step in and threaten to kick him out.

They kept some distance after that. Kurt was chatting with Quinn at the sidelines, one of the members of New Directions that Blaine didn’t know very well. As they talked, her gaze kept cutting across the gym to where Finn and Rachel were dancing. Blaine stood awkwardly beside Kurt, zoned out of the conversation, watching couples slow dance to Christina Perri’s _Jar Of Hearts_.

Sam appeared and slumped against the wall next to him. “Hey, dude!” he said.

“Hey, Sam. Having fun?”

“Yeah, man. It’d be cooler if I had a date, but whatever, there’s always prom,” Sam said, shrugging.

“You don’t have a girlfriend?” That surprised Blaine; he found Sam rather attractive, if he was being honest, and the first night they’d met he constantly had Santana shoving her tongue down his throat.

Sam looked longingly at the dancing couples, where Mercedes was with her boyfriend, and then shook his head, turning his eyes to the floor. “It’s cool. Puck’s going stag, too, but I think he wandered off to grope some chick in the janitor’s closet. Hey, are you and Kurt having fun?”

“As much as we can,” Blaine said. “I kind of wish we could slow dance, but hey, can’t have everything, right?”

Sam frowned deeply, which had an incredible effect due to the size of his mouth. “It’s not fair. You can Kurt deserve to dance as much as anyone.”

Blaine just shrugged. Maybe if he had enough courage, he would’ve asked Kurt to dance, bullies or not. But every time he tried, his mind flashed back to a dark parking lot and his ribs began to ache. He didn’t want to get into details with Sam. The events of the Sadie Hawkins dance kept creeping up on him, and he felt like talking about it here would be a bad omen.

Then Sam’s eye lit up. “Hey! I have an idea.” He leaned in, quieter so that Kurt couldn’t overhear, and said, “You should take him home early, turn on a slow song, and have your own slow dance. In the privacy of your own room.” Then he wiggled his eyebrows. “That’s basically foreplay for you guys, right?”

If he’d been drinking water, Blaine would have choked on it. “I––God, Sam, really?” he said, and Sam was beside himself with laughter. Someone tapped Blaine’s shoulder, and he looked over to see Kurt staring at them, an amused smile on his lips. Quinn was nowhere to be seen.

“What’s so funny?”

“It’s nothing,” Blaine said, casting a glare at Sam, which made him laugh harder. He grabbed Kurt’s hand and tangled their fingers together. “I’m getting a little tired. Want to head out?”

“Sure.” Kurt didn’t ask questions. “Just let me say goodbye to a few people and then we’ll go, okay?” He glanced around, and when he saw no one was watching, he pecked Blaine’s cheek and then scurried away.

“Aww,” Sam cooed. When Kurt was out of sight, he said, “So, does that mean you’re taking my advice?”

“I’ll choose to overlook your inappropriate joke, but only because the rest of it is actually a pretty good idea,” Blaine said. He punched Sam’s shoulder lightly. “Thanks, man.”

“Any time, dude. Now go get your man!”

Shaking his head, Blaine smiled and headed for the doors. He didn’t want to go out to the parking lot just yet. He’d wait in the hallway for Kurt to finish saying his goodbyes and then they’d go together.

To kill time, he pulled up his app on his phone and checked his recent reviews. His eyebrows shot up when he saw the most recent one, added an hour ago:

> _Be careful ladies, unless you want a gay best friend this app is not for you. It should be a law or something to say that you’re gay if you’re gonna do stuff like this. Changed my 5 star review to a 1. Ugh!_

Blaine swore under his breath. It was sheer bad luck that he’d run into a past client, at McKinley of all places. Most people who requested him were from Columbus, since it was so much closer to where he lived. He’d only had a couple from Lima, one being Rachel, and of course, Cassidy.

Kurt emerged from the gym, smiling, his eyes dazzling with the glow of the dance. Blaine hurried to put his phone away, jaw set, his nerves coming back in full swing, this time with a bout of anger.

“Ready to go?” Kurt asked, looping his arm through Blaine’s and beginning to pull him to the exit.

Blaine slid out of his grasp, giving a full foot of distance between them as they walked. “Mhm.”

Kurt stopped walking, and Blaine forced himself to stop, too. “What’s wrong?” Kurt asked.

“Nothing,” Blaine said. “Just… let’s go. Please.”

Kurt considered him for a moment, face laced with concern, and then nodded tightly. Silently they marched out to the parking lot.

It was the most nervous Blaine had been all night, crossing from the short distance of the exit to the car. He glanced around, afraid that anyone could jump out from the shadows, his heart pounding. He made a beeline for the passenger side of his car, ignoring Kurt’s skeptical look. His fingers trembled when he reached for the door handle and he slammed the door once inside, breathing shakily.

Kurt got into the driver’s seat and, Blaine noted, locked the doors right away. There was a beat of silence, and then, very quietly, Kurt said, “Blaine?”

Blaine closed his eyes, his head falling back against the headrest. “Please just drive,” he said, his voice raw and cracking. There was pressure in his head, making him feel dizzy and short of breath.

Kurt started the car and turned on the radio. Blaine kept his eyes closed the entire ride, listening to the muffled radio station on low, reminding himself to breathe.

A while later, the car slowed and then stopped. Only then did Blaine open his eyes, and blinked at the unfamiliar surroundings. By then he was breathing normally, fighting exhaustion from his overworked heart that had now returned to a steady rhythm.

“Kurt? Where are we?”

“My dad’s garage,” Kurt said. He saw the sign that read Hummel Tires & Lube, though the shop itself was black and empty. “I have a key. I thought you might not want to go to my place, and it’s still pretty early.”

Blaine managed a small smile. Kurt took that as an invitation to leave the car. He circled around and opened the door for Blaine, and together they walked up to the front door. Kurt fumbled for the right key, and a few minutes later they were settled in the office at the back of the shop, sitting on the floor with their backs to the wall, breathing in the faint smell of motor oil.

Kurt rested a hand on Blaine’s knee. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked gently, not prodding.

Blaine wanted to. If anyone would understand, it was Kurt. If it hadn’t been for that stupid review, he might have been fine. But sometimes being in Ohio was a slap in the face. He had settled into complacency with Kurt; he’d gotten used to the stolen kisses and coffee dates, and he’d forgotten that this was the real world, and there was a lot of hate in it.

And dammit, sometimes he wanted to slow dance with his boyfriend.

He got to his feet and outstretched a hand to Kurt. “Dance with me?” he asked.

Kurt looked at his hand, and quirked an eyebrow. “There’s no music,” he said.

Letting his hand drop, Blaine pulled out his phone and started playing the first slow song he could find. It ended up being _Need You Now_ by Lady Antebellum. He set his phone down on the filing cabinet by the wall and then again extended his hand, an expectant look on his face.

Rolling his eyes playfully, Kurt took it, and let himself be hoisted to his feet. Blaine pulled him close, wrapping his arms around Kurt’s shoulders while Kurt took his waist.

 

> _And I wonder if I ever cross your mind_ _  
> _ _For me it happens all the time_

He turned his face into Kurt’s neck, smiling against his skin as they swayed to the song. He would have to thank Sam for the idea later. This was all he wanted; to be with Kurt, like this, every day, in front of the entire world. Why was something so pure perceived as so wrong?

He stayed in his little bubble of bliss until the last notes of the song faded away. They stopped swaying, but Blaine didn’t let go. He kissed Kurt’s neck lightly, and murmured, “Thank you.”

“For what?”

Blaine pulled back to look at him, and brushed his thumb along Kurt’s jaw. “Just… thank you,” he said.

Kurt’s eyes flickered to his lips, and Blaine leaned in, but before he could close the distance between them, Kurt said, “Are you really okay?”

It wasn’t fair; all Blaine wanted to do was lose himself in Kurt’s kiss. But he knew Kurt wouldn’t be happy until he understood what was going on in Blaine’s head. So he sighed, pressed a chaste kiss to Kurt’s cheek, and then sat against the large bureau. Kurt stood in front of him, holding his hands for reassurance. Blaine watched their hands as he spoke, not having the strength to hold Kurt’s gaze.

“All night, I just wanted to dance with you,” he said. “But I was so scared, Kurt. Sometimes I forget… because what we have means so much to me, I forget that other people don’t understand.”

“I know. I saw them looking, too,” said Kurt, squeezing his fingers.

“It just––it pissed me off, knowing what they thought of us. And it scared me, too. And then, that girl, Cassidy? She left a review on my app after we talked, said something vaguely homophobic. And it just reminded me that I’ll never be able to have all of you. Behind closed doors, maybe, but never in public.”

His shoulders sagged with the weight of his words, his heart clenching painfully in his chest. They would never have the same things most high school couples had.

“Blaine, look at me,” Kurt said. He stepped forward, coming to rest between Blaine’s knees, gripping his shoulders. Blaine had no choice but to lift his chin and stare into Kurt’s beautiful blue eyes––the ones he’d fallen for so long ago. Kurt smiled sadly. “You do have all of me. You have since the day we met.”

Blaine swallowed thickly, feeling anything and everything at once. Shaking his head, he let out a tiny laugh. “This might be the wrong thing to say, and maybe it’ll make you run for the hills… but Kurt? I love you. I really do.”

Kurt’s face transformed into open surprise, his lips parting slightly as he blinked down at Blaine. Blaine held his breath as he watched Kurt inhale, turn over the words in his head, and smile. “I love you too,” he sighed. Then he poked Blaine’s chest lightly. “And nothing you can say could make me run for the hills.”

Blaine knew he meant it. Kurt kissed him, finally, love on his lips and his breath and every inch of him that pressed Blaine against the edge of the desk. Something like a whine escaped from the back of Blaine’s throat, and he wrapped his hand around Kurt’s neck, pulling him closer. Maybe it was a good thing they hadn’t done this in Kurt’s room, he thought. A bed would’ve been a dangerous thing.

“I’m so in love with you,” he murmured as he kissed down Kurt’s jaw to his neck. Kurt just hummed in response and put his hands in Blaine’s hair, toying with the ungelled curls at the back. Just that feeling did things to Blaine, sending shockwaves through his body.

A door slammed.

The garage lights flickered on.

Kurt shot away from Blaine as if yanked by an invisible chain, smoothing his hair frantically. Blaine stood up, eyes wide as he saw Burt Hummel outside the office door, scowling at them through the window.

The door swung open. “You two are in big trouble,” he said severely.

Blaine began to sweat. “Mr. Hummel, I––”

Burt cut him off simply by raising his hand. He stepped into the office and closed the door behind him, barricading their only way out. He folded his arms, eyes flickering between them before finally landing on Kurt.

“Kurt, do you think I’m dumb?” Burt said. “You think you’re real clever, using your key? Yeah, well, guess you didn’t know we have an alarm system at night. It was beeping like crazy––woke me and Carole up. And then I see I have a text from Finn letting me know you two left the dance early. You’re damn lucky he did, too, or I would’ve called the police, and you’d be talking to an officer right now.”

Blaine thought to himself, _An officer would’ve been less scary than this._

Kurt’s eyes were saucers as he stared at his dad in fear. “Um… may I speak?” he squeaked.

“Yes, you may.”

“Blaine and I weren’t coming here to, um…” Kurt flushed, and Blaine knew he was blushing, too. “We just had a bad time at the dance, and I wanted to find a quiet place to talk. That’s all, I promise.”

Burt’s demeanour changed almost instantly. “What do you mean, you had a bad time?” he said. “Someone giving you trouble?”

Blaine piped up. “No, sir. I mean, people were looking at us, but we’re used to that. It’s just… it’s my fault, Mr. Hummel. I had a bad experience at a dance a long time ago, and I just––had a hard time forgetting it, is all.”

He could have imagined it, but it looked like Burt softened slightly at his confession. “Is this that Sadie Hawkins thing Kurt told me about?”

Blaine glanced sideways at Kurt, who wasn’t meeting his eyes. So Kurt had told him. It didn’t bother Blaine, not really. It certainly explained why Burt had been so keen on making the night enjoyable earlier.

He nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Burt unfolded his arms. After a few moments of consideration, he nodded. “Okay. I’m not saying I ain’t mad, but… I get it. Just next time, come to the house. If you need privacy, just ask––but _not_ for… for, you know.” Now it was Burt’s turn to blush. “Whatever. Time to go, grab your stuff.”

Blaine didn’t need telling twice. He grabbed his phone off the filing cabinet and followed Burt out of the garage. Kurt trailed along behind, saying nothing until they reached Blaine’s car. Burt was parked behind him.

“Kurt, you coming with me?”

Kurt nodded. “Just a second, Dad,” he called, and walked to where Blaine stood by his own car. He shuffled his feet awkwardly. “I’m sorry I told him. I just needed him to understand how important tonight was. I didn’t want him to say the wrong thing.”

“Kurt, it’s fine.” Blaine took his bicep, and leaned in to kiss him quickly. “I’m not mad. Promise. I’ll text you when I get home, okay? You shouldn’t keep your dad waiting.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “He scares me a little.”

“Good!” Burt called from the open window of his car, and the two boys dissolved into laughter.

Kurt hugged him tightly, whispering, “I love you,” in Blaine’s ear, and giving him a warm smile before departing.

Maybe it had been a bad night, and maybe Blaine’s job would crash and burn if anyone listened to Cassidy’s review, but as he drove away from Hummel Tires & Lube, he couldn’t find it in himself to care. Burt supported them––supported _him_. He, Blaine Anderson, was in love, and loved in return. And he had Kurt Hummel; all of him.

And maybe that was all he really needed.

**Author's Note:**

> Blaine’s PTSD in this fic is based on my own experiences. I know everybody goes through PTSD differently but I kept his reactions similar to how I would react to being faced with a stressful situation, since that’s what I’m familiar with. If it doesn’t ring true to anybody then I apologize, I tried my best. If you have any concerns please message me on Tumblr. 
> 
> The girl in the picture for Cassidy is Maia Mitchell. I figured it wouldn't hurt to put in a visual for the character.
> 
> Also, if you think it’s too early for I Love You’s––remember by this point they’ve known each other almost a year. And it’s Klaine, we all know they’re soulmates, so there.
> 
> My tumblr is [dukecabooms.](http://dukecabooms.tumblr.com/)


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